Jack DeGioia, President of Georgetown University, USA, has been made an honorary fellow of Glyndŵr University

05 August 2010

The president of one of the oldest universities in the United States has become an honorary fellow of Glyndŵr University.

Dr Jack DeGioia, the 48th president of Georgetown University, Washington DC, collected the award in a ceremony at the University’s Wrexham campus.

Since becoming Georgetown’s president in 2003, Dr DeGioia has overseen a huge expansion of the university, following a successful $1 billion fundraising campaign, the largest in US university history.

He has also provided a strong voice for social justice, opening up Georgetown University to thousands of students from poorer backgrounds.

Professor Michael Scott, Vice-Chancellor of Glyndŵr University, said that sharing with Glyndŵr University this ethos of widening access made Dr DeGioia a fitting fellow.

Professor Scott said: “Georgetown is one of the great universities of the USA, where everyone is treated equally, and I’m so proud that we now welcome Jack as a fellow of Glyndŵr University.”

An English graduate raised in Orange, Connecticut and Hanford, California, Dr DeGioia was recently named Washingtonian of the Year in a US magazine.

Dr DeGioia said: “This is truly an exciting time to be joining the community of Glyndŵr University. Wales is setting an example to the world for its enterprising spirit and nowhere else is this shown more than here.

"The university embodies the spirit of its great national hero, Owain Glyndŵr, and one aspect where this is demonstrated is through its work with industry.

“You can’t fulfil the mission of a university in isolation and Glyndŵr University is a great example of how universities can contribute to the economic prosperity of their region. I’m both grateful and humbled to be a part of its community.”

The fellowship ceremony at Glyndŵr University also saw some of the University’s longest serving staff honoured for their work. Staff were presented with certificates by the University’s Chancellor, The Rt Hon Lord Jones.